Shinigami in Konoha
by Psycho Demon-Witch
Summary: I hate titles... NarutoBleach crossover. There will be yaoi in this. Don't like, don't read. Please leave a review! Chapter three now up!
1. Chapter 1

Psycho Demon-Witch: I know I have two other fics in progress at the moment, but this is something I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I tried to promise myself I would wait until at least one of the others was complete, but I just couldn't help it. This is a Naruto/Bleach crossover, and I am going to be changing a few things. I won't tell you what they are, just wait and see. Also, there are going to be yaoi pairings in this story, so if you don't like it, click on the damn back button. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

It was a normal day for Uzumaki Naruto. He had woken up late and was rushing to put his clothes on before making his breakfast of cup ramen and his usual glass of milk. He checked the expiration date on the tub. He had learned what happen when you drank sour milk the hard way, and didn't plan on repeating the experience.

Once he had finished his breakfast, he put on his hitai-ate and ran out of his home and headed towards the Hokage's office. He was anxious to hear of any news of Orochimaru and Sasuke. It had been nearly three years since Orochimaru had last taken a new body. Sasuke's time was running out.

When he got there, he burst into the office to find Sakura, Kakashi (who surprisingly wasn't late for once) and Sai already waiting. There were some people he didn't recognize however. They were dressed in a strange black and white baggy uniform. Some of them wore white coats over their uniform. He noticed that each of these white coats had a number on them. One, six, eight, ten and thirteen. There were others wearing armbands with corresponding numbers… he noticed that thirteen was missing though. "Oi, Tsunade baa chan, who are these guys?" Naruto demanded. Tsunaded frowned and glared at the loud mouthed blond boy. She threw a book at his head. She smiled in satisfaction when it landed on it's target and an 'ow' was heard.

"Maybe if you had gotten here on time, you would already know" she yelled at him. Sakura was shaking her head, Sai only smiled and Kakashi didn't make any indication of being aware of anything around him. Tsunade sat back down in her chair. "These people are Shinigami. They come from a place called Soul Society, which is where souls go after they die. They have come because they believe some traitor Shinigami have joined forces with some of our stray Shinobi" she explained.

"Who have they joined with?" Naruto asked.

"I was getting to that when you burst in here" Tsunade said in a tone promising pain if he didn't let her finish. Naruto cringed. He may have gotten stronger over the last two and a half years, but he was still no match for Tsunade's temper. "From the descriptions they have been able to obtain from an anonymous source, it would appear that it is Orochimaru" she continued. Sakura gasped, while Naruto clenched his fists. It seemed that Sasuke was getting himself into more and more trouble. "Do not let your emotions control you, Naruto. This is serious. Instead of Orochimaru's people and Akatsuki we now have to deal with people who aren't even from our world. They have powers we don't understand and may not be able to counter. They must be eliminated soon" Tsunade said.

One of the Shinigami moved to speak. He had a bald head and a very long beard to compensate for his lack of hair. "We will also be bringing people in from yet another world…"

"Another world? Just how many worlds are there?" Naruto interrupted.

"Countless thousands" the white haired Shinigami said, the one with the number thirteen on his back. "It is Soul Society's job to keep these worlds from interfering with each other, but it would appear that Aizen wishes to disrupt the balance between these worlds in a bid to break the limit of a Shinigami's power".

"Then why are you bringing in people from another world? Wouldn't that disrupt the balance?" Sakura spoke up.

"A smart question, Sakura-san. The people of whom I speak have unusual powers for humans. They may be of some help in defeating Aizen. Don't worry about the balance. As long as they don't interfere with your power, and you theirs, there should be no problem" the white haired Shinigami said.

"Why don't you introduce yourselves? You know our names, but we don't know yours" Tsunade asked.

"I am Genryusai Yamamoto, Captain of the first division, this is my vice captain, Sasakibe Chojiro" the bald Shinigami said. The other Shinigami with the white coats also introduce themselves and their subordinates.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the sixth division. My vice captain, Abarai Renji" Byakuya said, indicating the red haired Shinigami that was his subordinate.

"I'm Kyouraku Shunsui, Captain of the eighth division and this lady here is my vice captain, Nanao-chan" the Shinigami wearing the pink kimono said, pointing to his strict looking vice captain.

"Hitsugaya Toushiro, Captain of the tenth division. My vice captain, Matsumoto Rangiku" the youngest Shinigami said pointing to a woman who had assets that rivalled Tsunade's.

"Aren't you a little young to be a Shinigami, let alone a Captain? You're so small" Naruto said. Some of the Shinigami looked at Toushiro like he was an explosion waiting to happen.

"I happen to be much older than you. I am probably older than your Hokage 'kid'" Toushiro said with a glare, emphasising the word 'kid'

"But… but, you don't look any older than thirteen" Naruto protested. Sakura whacked him on the back of the head. After being trained by Tsunade, it hurt much more than usual.

"Naruto, you're such an idiot! Weren't you listening to them? They come from a place where souls go after the body dies. That means they are technically dead and are much older than they look, I wouldn't be surprised if they were hundreds of years old" she said.

"Some of us are actually thousands of years old… but continuing with the introductions. I am Ukitake Jyuushiro, Captain of the thirteenth division. I don't have a vice captain, but these are my subordinates, Kotestsu Kiyone, Kotsubaki Sentaro and Kuchiki Rukia" Jyuushiro said, indicating the three subordinates he had brought with him.

"Why don't you have a vice captain?" Naruto asked. A painful look crossed the faces of those in the thirteenth division.

"He died" Jyuushiro said simply.

"I thought you guys were already dead. How could he die?" Sakura asked, completely confused.

"The soul can also be killed. When it is, it reincarnates into a living world, with no memories of its previous life" Jyuushiro explained gently. "All of you have died before and been reincarnated, at least once" he continued. The Shinobi looked surprised. It was strange to think of having died while still being alive. The oldest looking Shinigami coughed.

"I must be going. With the 46 dead, I have to run Soul Society. Jyuushiro, I will be leaving the transfer of the ryoka kids into this world to you" he said, before an unusual gate opened before him. He and his vice captain both left, leaving the Shinobi staring in wonder.

"Kiyone, Sentaro. You will stay here while Rukia and I fetch the ryoka" Jyuushiro said.

"I understand" they said together, and then glared at each other. Jyuushiro sighed and shook his head. Although they were both very loyal, neither one would be able to be his vice captain. He opened another gate into this other world the Shinigami had spoken of and left with Rukia.

"What the hell is that thing?" Naruto asked, nearly yelling.

"It is a Senkai gate. It is a sort of bridge between different worlds. Only a Shinigami can open it" Shunsui explained.

"Then how did this Aizen person get here?" Naruto asked. Nearly everyone in the room sweat dropped.

"You… really weren't listening, were you?" Sakura stated more than asked.

"Yes I was" Naruto said, sounding a little guilty. Sakura's eyebrow twitched.

"LIAR" she yelled, and whacked him to the floor.

"Sakura, if you don't mind, we need Naruto in relatively good physical condition to carry out this mission" Tsunade said. Sakura blushed slightly and bowed her head. "Do you Shinigami know your way around Konoha?" she asked.

"A couple of us have been here before to get rid of Hollows, but other than that, no" Toushiro answered. Tsunade nodded.

"Alright, these four will show you around Konoha. And there will be no trouble making, do I make myself clear, Naruto?" she said, yelling as she addressed Naruto.

"Why only me?" Naruto whined.

"Because you were training with that idiot Jiraiya for two and a half years. I think you have gotten even more moronic since you have been with him" Tsunade said. "Right then, get out of here. I have work to do" she said, dismissing them.

"Not that you actually do your work, baa-chan" Naruto muttered under his breath. Another book hit him on the head.

"GET OUT OF HERE" Tsunade yelled. And get out they all did.

Psycho Demon-Witch: What did you think? I hope it turned out alright. Please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

Psycho Demon-Witch: I have a review. Oh well. Thank you to Svaro. I probably should have explained more stuff, but that would have taken too long. I'm gonna explain some more stuff this chapter though. Promise. That was just a brief introduction with Tsunade, the kids are going to be very curious. Anyway… there's one problem I'm having. From what is said in both the anime and the manga, it seems that people can also be born in Soul Society. What with the noble families and that. It confuses me, they're dead! Well, on with the story!

Chapter Two

The Shinigami and Team 7 had just left the Hokage's office. Naruto and Sakura were bursting with questions to ask the Shinigami, Naruto because he was a curious and nosy little bugger and Sakura because she was also a nosy bugger who had to know everything.

It was still early, so there weren't many people around. As a result, Team 7 hadn't noticed that the Shinigami were being almost totally ignored. That in itself should have been strange, as they weren't your average people. Each one wearing the same black uniform, and each with a katana. Kakashi seemed to notice though. He looked suspiciously at the Shinigami, whom Sakura and Naruto were walking beside, trying to refrain from asking questions. He let it go for now though. He would ask them later. The temptation proved too much for Naruto though. "Hey, why are you all carrying only a katana? Shouldn't you carry spare weapons, just in case you lose it? Seems a bit stupid that you aren't prepared" Naruto said. Sakura twitched at the rudeness Naruto had shown to their guests. Kakashi shook his head, and Sai just smiled.

"We don't need another weapon. Our Zanpakuto, the katana we each carry, and our destructive arts are enough" Toushiro said shortly.

"Why? What's so special about these katana? And why are they all different?" Naruto asked.

"The Zanpakuto are a part of a Shinigami's soul. Each one has its own name, and its personality reflects the Shinigami who owns it" Shunsui explained. Sakura looked confused.

"How can a katana be a part of someone's soul? It's an inanimate object" she said.

"When a Shinigami is created, the Zanpakuto manifests itself as a regular katana. As a Shinigami gains more power, the Zanpakuto can change by allowing the inner being to manifest itself to a greater degree in the outside world. A Zanpakuto may be able to regenerate itself when broken, but it can never be replaced" Byakuya said.

"Wow, I think that's the most I've ever heard you say in one go, Byakuya" Shunshui teased. Byakuya turned his cold glare on him. It didn't faze Shunsui though, having already grown accustomed to that glare after being a fellow Captain with the noble for over forty years.

"That is so strange. I have never heard of a weapon being a reflection of someone's personality" Sakura mused.

"That's because it rarely happens in living worlds. I have been a Shinigami for over two thousand years, and I have only known a few dozen incidents of it occurring" Shunsui said.

"Wow… only a few dozen?" Sakura was dazed, and her pace slowed down.

"Hey, how are Captains picked for… however many divisions you guys have?" Naruto asked, snapping Sakura out of her daze and she ran to catch up to them.

"There are thirteen divisions in total, each one having their own specialty. Shinigami are usually selected for divisions based upon ability, but really, they can choose which division to go into.

"There are three ways in which a Shinigami Captain, or Taichou is chosen. The first is to take a Captain proficiency test, which requires knowledge of Bankai, the final release of our Zanpakuto. At least three Captains have to witness this test, including the Commander General, who is the first division Captain. The second is to have personal recommendations from at least six Captains and have approval from at least three of the remaining seven. The final way is to defeat an existing Captain in a one-on-one battle, with at least two hundred witnesses from that Captain's division. Captains are usually the only ones powerful enough to achieve Bankai" Shunsui explained.

"That's it? A Captain just has to know how to use a Bankai?" Naruto asked, not convinced of the power of Captains.

"Don't be an idiot. There is more to being a Captain. A Captain also has to have mastered their Bankai, which usually takes at least ten years to accomplish. Most Captains are also skilled in Flash Steps, Demon Arts, and we have an excellent knowledge of the history of Shinigami and battle tactics. There is currently only one person who is Captain because of sheer power alone. Zaraki Kenpachi of the eleventh division" Toushiro said.

It was then Kakashi decided to butt into the conversation with questions of his own. "Why don't you tell us a bit more about these traitors of yours" he said.

"They were all Captains. Aizen Sousuke of the fifth division, Ichimaru Gin of the third division and Tousen Kaname of the ninth division. They decided to leave Soul Society in a bid to break the power limits of a Shinigami. They took something that would enable them to do that. It is called the Hougyoku. From what we have gathered, it can cross a Shinigami over with a Hollow. These hybrids are called Arrancar. They are very dangerous. Where are we going anyway?" Toushiro said, suddenly changing the subject.

"We're going to the academy first. Iruka-sensei should be there" Naruto said. Suddenly, a man heading to work bumped into Renji. He looked around in bewilderment. There was nothing there. He looked frightened for a moment before turning around, muttering about hallucinations. Then it clicked in Kakashi's head. That man couldn't see the Shinigami. Although it made sense that people couldn't see the dead, it didn't explain why he and the others could. Byakuya noticed this and decided to explain.

"The reason you can see us is because you all have a high level of what you call 'chakra'. Normal humans, like that man, cannot see us" he said. Kakashi nodded.

"Looks like you'll have to be careful of people around here then. You'll have the whole village thinking they're going crazy" Kakashi said cheerfully. Renji smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful" he said.

"You'd better be Renji. I don't want to have to write up incident reports because you couldn't avoid some humans" Byakuya said.

"Hai, Kuchiki Taichou" Renji said.

"Wait… the Shinigami that left for that other world. How will they find you? They don't know their way around" Sakura said.

"Just as you are able to sense anothers Chakra, we are able to sense each other's reiatsu" Toushiro explained shortly. Sakura suddenly felt stupid for asking that. She should have known that these people who were supposedly very powerful would be able to sense other presences.

The ninja academy was now in sight. It appeared that it was lunch time, what with the various children either running around playing, practicing techniques they had learnt (this was rare to see) or they were eating. A young man in his late twenties was watching over them, occasionally yelling when one of them got into trouble. He sighed. He loved teaching, but kids could be so troublesome.

"Hey, Iruka sensei" Naruto shouted. Iruka looked up and smiled when he heard Naruto's voice.

"Miss this place that much that you just had to come visit?" Iruka asked teasingly when the entered the playground. Naruto scrunched up his nose.

"Oi, I came to visit you, not this place" Naruto replied. "I hated the academy" he added.

"Well, you've come so close to being shoved back in here so many times, it's hard to believe that" Iruka said. Naruto glared. It was then Iruka noticed the strangely dressed people. "Who are they?" he asked.

"They're Shinigami. Apparently some of their evil guys have joined forces with our evil guys and are planning to take over the world. Usual bad guy scenario" Kakashi explained in a bored tone. Iruka blinked. Not many people had been informed of the Shinigami's arrival, seeing as how most people wouldn't be able to see them. "I'm sure Tsunade will explain this to all other Shinobi later. For now, we're just showing them around" he added at the confused look on Iruka's face.

"And you decided to bring them to a place filled with snot nosed, noisy brats" Iruka said, half disbelievingly.

"It's a wonder you're a teacher, the way you insult the kids around here" Naruto mumbled. Iruka threw him a sharp glance.

"The way I see it, I am way too soft on kids. Remember when you were here? You caused no end of trouble" he shot back at Naruto. Naruto looked sheepish at that.

"You had fun, admit it" he said. Iruka smiled, but didn't comment.

"Well, it's been nice to see you, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and nice to meet the Shinigami, but I am sure you must be getting on. Their lunch break is almost over" Iruka said, indicating the kids, a few of which were now staring openly at the Shinigami.

"Looks like those ones have a higher Chakra concentration than most of the others" Toushiro commented.

"Yes, those three do generally do better when practicing techniques than the others" Iruka said.

"See you later, Iruka sensei" Naruto said as the large group headed off.

(Skip to later as I can't be bothered trying to remember significant places in Konoha)

The Shinigami were now settled in the living room of the building they would be living in until Aizen and his followers were defeated. Although the Hokage hadn't been expecting so many, the accommodations were big enough to fit all of them comfortably, though they would have to be two or three to a room once Jyuushiro came back with the ryoka kids. There were six bedrooms altogether and they had already come up with the sleeping arrangements.

They had arranged them as follows:

Byakuya and Renji

Rangiku and Nanao

Sentaro and Chad

Jyuushiro and Shunsui

Toushiro, Ichigo and Ishida (for the purpose of the story, Ishida has his powers back)

Rukia, Orihime and Kiyone

"Where is Jyuu-chan, he should have been back with the ryoka kids ages ago" Shunsui complained, missing the presence of his best friend.

"He would have had to explain the situation to the ryoka first. Besides, time flows differently in different worlds, you know that" Toushiro said in an agitated tone. Shunsui had been complaining in that laid back tone for over an hour now. Then Shunsui's eyes lit up.

"What, do you sense him, Kyouraku Taichou" Nanao asked.

"Nope, Jyuu-chan is too professional to leave his reiatsu blaring like a beacon" Shunsui said with a grin.

"Kurosaki Ichigo" Byakuya said.

"Will he ever learn to hide that damn reiatsu of his? Even Aizen will know he's here… wherever he happens to be" Renji said.

"Ah well, they'll be here soon" Shunsui said.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Sentaro and Kiyone both practically rushed the door, fighting each other to open the door. The other Shinigami showed varying signs of frustration at the two third seats behaviour. Why had Jyuushiro allowed them to come again? Oh yeah, he didn't have a fukutaichou anymore. The others wished he would hurry up and pick one, then all this bickering would end. Tired of the arguing, Toushiro finally opened the door, agitation evident on his face. This agitation deepened when he saw the smile on Jyuushiro's face. "I hope my third seats haven't been giving you too much trouble" he said cheerfully. The others sweat dropped and glared at Jyuushiro. He didn't notice this though. "We have an unexpected guest" he continued as he, Rukia and the ryoka stepped in. Behind the ryoka was Urahara Kisuke. "I thought it might be useful to have someone here who can tell us more about the hougyoku".

"It's his fault we're in this mess, as he created the damn thing" Toushiro growled.

"Oi, oi, I didn't know how dangerous it was. I did try to destroy it" Kisuke said, not sounding as if he was trying to defend himself at all.

"Yeah, by using Rukia san's soul" Kiyone mumbled. She didn't dare try to sound to disrespectful to the former Taichou.

"Change of subject. What do you now know of Aizen's whereabouts?" Jyuushiro asked.

"We still only know that he is with a character called Orochimaru, who became a missing nin after attempting illegal Shinobi techniques. He has several followers. One named Kabuto, who is a medical expert and another former hidden leave Shinobi named Uchiha Sasuke" Shunsui explained. Jyuushiro sighed.

"I guess our first job is to look around for him then" he said. "Ah well. It's getting late, let's get some sleep and decide our next plan of action in the morning" he continued. Everyone agreed to that, and walked off to their respective rooms, except Jyuushiro, Shunsui and Kisuke.

"Since we weren't expecting you, you don't have anywhere to sleep at this moment in time. If you want though, I can arrange for you to share with Jyuu-chan and myself" Shunsui said.

"That would be most kind of you. I will sleep in here for tonight then" Kisuke said. They said their goodnights and soon the entire household was asleep.

Psycho Demon-Witch: (sigh) this will be soo much easier when the Shinigami split into teams. Then I will have fewer characters to deal with. I am in somewhat of a depressive mood at the moment. My forum is… well… dead. I am trying to get more people on it, but it's just not working. Oh well. Please leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Psycho Demon-Witch: Damnit! My internet connection has gone down as I am writing this, so forgive me if it's late. Wireless is so unreliable. Well, thank you for the reviews I have received so far and for any that I might receive in the time it takes for the connection to run again (however unlikely those reviews are). This really sucks. Anyway… I need some help for some pairings. I haven't really decided on any yet, except for a Renji/Byakuya one.

Chapter Three

The Shinigami had already been in Konoha for a few days, and were split into several teams. Each team had a captain, a vice captain and a ryoka at least. When the Shinigami tended to their duties, they had one team of Shinobi with them at any one time, to help them around. So far, there hadn't been any news on Aizen's whereabouts, but both Shinigami and Shinobi were keeping a keen lookout for any information. The teams were organized as follows:

Kuchiki Byakuya's team: Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime

Ukitake Jyuushiro's team: Kiyone, Sentaro, Kuchiki Rukia

Kyouraku Shunsui's team: Nanao Ise, Urahara Kisuke, Yasutora Sado

Hitsugaya Toushiro's team: Matsumoto Rangiku, Ishida Uryuu

Tsunade was sat in her office, with a pile of paperwork that had yet to be done. She was rather confused. There hadn't been any signs of activity from Orochimaru and his new Shinigami friend. Even Akatsuki seemed to have ceased their plans to take the tailed demons.

Shizune suddenly burst in. She was carrying a white envelope in her hands. "Sumimasen. This letter just arrived, it's addressed to the Shinigami" she said. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. No one but the Shinobi of the village knew the Shinigami were here, and they wouldn't have any need to send a letter to people who were living in the same area as themselves.

"Bring the Shinigami captains here then. They will want to see this themselves" Tsunade said. Shizune placed the letter on Tsunade's desk, and left to bring the Shinigami. Tsunade was really curious. Maybe it's a trap, she was thinking. She picked the letter up, and tested for various jutsu that may have been placed on the letter. When she was satisfied that a Shinobi hadn't interfered with the letter, she put it back down. It might be that another Shinigami had done something to the letter. If that was the case, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Shizune came back followed by three of the four Shinigami captains. The fourth one, Byakuya, was on duty with his team. Tsunade pointed to the letter. Jyuushiro walked over to it and picked it up. "How clever. Whoever sent this made sure that only someone of captain level would be able to open it" he said. Tsunade looked up at him questioningly. "If someone with a low level of reiatsu was to try and open this letter, they would fall unconscious. It's not particularly dangerous. Whoever sent it doesn't mean any of us any harm, but they are quite powerful to have cast this spell" Jyuushiro continued reassuringly. He opened it carefully none the less. Shunsui and Toushiro peered over to read the letter. It looked as though it had been written in a great hurry, like the person writing it was afraid. Jyuushiro read the letter aloud.

'Shinigami Captains,

I have information on where Aizen and his new partner, Orochimaru are. They are located somewhere to the North of the hidden Sand village. This area is very prone to sand storms. I cannot tell you where exactly. I am not from this area myself.'

"There is no signature" he finished. Toushiro frowned.

"That sounds suspicious. It seems too easy" he said.

"But it is the only lead we have been able to get so far" Shunsui said. "What do you think, Jyuu-chan?"

"Maybe we could listen to it. We shall send two Shinigami teams there to investigate that area" Jyuushiro replied. He didn't show any annoyance at being called by his nickname in front of people they barely knew. Tsunade nodded her approval.

"I will send two Shinobi teams with you as well, to guide you around the area. Unfortunately for you, one of the two teams that are free has Uzumaki Naruto in it" she said. Shunsui laughed.

"I am sure we will be able to put up with him" he said.

"Don't count on it, even the most patient of you will get pissed off with him eventually" Tsunade said shaking her head. "I don't like your chances much with the second team either. They are led by Maito Gai. Whatever you do, don't let him get started on 'the power of youth'" she continued.

"Sounds like the Shinobi here are as lame as many of the Shinigami back in Soul Society" Toushiro said, with some annoyance in his tone.

"Well, good luck tomorrow then, seeing as how your team is one of those going to this hidden Sand village, along with mine" Jyuushiro said with a smile.

"You old men are annoying" Toushiro said.

Later that day, the Shingami and the ryoka all met up after Byakuya's team had finished their patrol. Orihime was exhausted. As she was not a Shinigami, she had no where near the strength or stamina of the three men in her team. Ichigo had had to give her a piggy back on the way back to their living area. Kisuke had promised her that he would teach her and Sado to use their own unique reiatsu to their full potential, so that they would be able to keep up with the Shinigami easier. She collapsed onto the nearest chair and waited for the inevitable conversation she could tell was going to happen, based on the looks of the other captains faces.

When they were all seated, Jyuushiro revealed the letter. "This was sent addressed to us earlier on today. It has given us valuable information on the whereabouts of Aizen. Unfortunately, our informant has been unable to give us the exact location of the hideaway, but we do know that it is located to the North of the hidden Sand village, in an area that is particularly prone to sand storms" he explained.

"And just who is our informant" Byakuya asked.

"We don't know. The letter was sent anonymously" Toushiro spoke.

"Then how do you know if the letter is genuine? For all we know, this letter could be a joke" Rangiku said.

"It is the only information we have been able to get since we got here. We can't just ignore it. What if it tells the truth?" Jyuushiro argued.

"We have already arranged for two teams, myself and Ukitake's teams along with two Shinobi teams, to go and investigate this area. Hopefully the hidden Sand will be willing to help us" Toushiro said.

"They might. I heard that they are allied with Konoha" Byakuya said.

"That's good. It will make our job easier" Jyuushiro said. "We will set off tomorrow morning. The Hokage is already briefing the two Shinobi teams that are to accompany us".

"Can we eat now?" Shunsui asked. There was a varied response, ranging from sighs to small laughs. Orihime instantly volunteered to cook for them. Ichigo and Sado instantly tried to deter her, knowing the… _unusual_ dishes she was in the habit of making. Ishida finally tired of listening to them got up and walked into the kitchen and started preparing a stir fry. Ichigo went in to help him, as there were a lot of people to cook for.

While they were doing this, the others sat talking about various things… apart from Byakuya and Toushiro, who were sitting away from the others with either a passive or annoyed expression. "I wonder how everyone at school is. I wonder how Tatsuki-chan is. I wonder how much time has actually passed there" Orihime wondered.

"I am sure your friends are all fine. Thankfully, the time flows in your world and this one aren't too different. Time in your world travels slower than this one, so really, you may only have been missing from your world for a couple of days" Jyuushiro said, before breaking into coughs. Shunsui was immediately at his side. "Don't worry, I'm fine" he said with a slight breathlessness, blood dripping from his lower lip. Shunsui frowned, but let it go. Jyuushiro's illness was not a pleasant one, and was often a source of great concern for him. While the Shinigami were unsurprised, the ryoka, who had not known Jyuushiro all that long, had looks of near horror on their faces.

"Where'd that blood come from? Is he alright?" Orihime asked. Jyuushiro smiled.

"Don't worry; this was only a mild attack. I'll be fine" he said, before coughing again.

"A mild one? You're coughing up blood! How long has this been going on?" Orihime said, the healer in her suddenly kicking in.

"This has been happening for over two thousand years. I'm sure you know about the consumption?" Jyuushiro said. Sado and Orihime nodded mouths slightly agape as he told them how long he had been suffering from it.

"That's a long time. Humans are usually dead within a few months of catching this illness" Sado said.

"Diseases don't work in quite the same way for souls" Shunsui said simply, in a tone that ended the discussion. An awkward silence fell over the group, interrupted only by the occasional cough from Jyuushiro.

A few minutes later, Ishida and Ichigo emerged from the kitchen, balancing plates in their hands. They walked over to the table and set them down before going back to the kitchen to retrieve the other plates. Orihime followed them to help them. "Oi, foods ready" Ichigo said in a bored tone. "What's been going on in here?" he asked, noticing the silence over the group, and the somewhat calmer coughs from Jyuushiro.

"It's nothing" Jyuushiro said with a reassuring smile. They all got up and sat down at the large table. They all began eating.

"This is delicious! Where did Ishida-kun and Kurosaki-kun learn to cook like this" Orihime said, her eyes sparkling in delight. Ishida blushed slightly, while Ichigo remained impassive to the compliment. The Shinigami were also a little surprised, but they did not show it.

After dinner, Orihime decided she would clean the dishes. Nanao decided she would help her. While they were doing that, the others were discussing what they would all do tomorrow. Two teams leaving for the hidden Sand, and the other two would be left in Konoha to patrol. Although, knowing Shunsui, he wouldn't be doing much patrolling. So they decided it was up to Nanao to make sure he got his ass in gear.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Orihime was washing the dishes, while Nanao was drying them and putting them rather orderly back in the cupboards (as was her habit, having a lazy Captain like Shunsui). "You ryoka seem rather responsible for a bunch of fifteen/sixteen year olds" Nanao observed. Orihime smiled.

"I guess so. Most of us live alone, and after what happened in Soul Society I suppose we all grew up" she replied.

"Why is that? Where are your parents?" At that question, Orihime looked rather sad.

"My parents weren't the most responsible around, so my older brother and I moved away. He took care of me, until a few years ago when he died. I have lived on my own since then. My neighbours and friends help me out, but it's not the same. I'm not sure about the others. I know Ishida used to live with his Grandfather until he died, but other than that I don't know"

"I am sorry to hear that" Nanao said comfortingly.

"I wonder how my brother is doing in Soul Society. I hope he is okay" Orihime said absently.

"I'm sure he is" Nanao replied.

"You're a very nice person. You seem very strict, but you're nice" Orihime said with a smile.

"I have to be. You don't know my captain. He's a lazy git, if you'll pardon the expression" Nanao said, with an exasperated look on her face. Orihime giggled. "Still, I wouldn't be in any other division" she added.

They soon finished the dishes, and joined the others. Ichigo had gotten into another argument with Toushiro, concerning the youngest captains' height. He had forgotten Toushiro's name, and had called him 'little one', which had pissed off the young captain, and sent some of the vice captains practically running for cover. It wasn't a pretty sight when Toushiro got really pissed off. "My name is Hitsugaya Toushiro or Hitsugaya Taichou to you" the young captain said to Ichigo sternly. Ichigo glared at him.

"Like I'm going to address you as 'Hitsugaya Taichou'. I'm not one of the Gotei 13, I don't have to listen to you" he said. Most of the other Shinigami were making sure to avoid this argument like the plague. Both were strong enough to beat up most of the people present here. Finally, Byakuya gave them both his famous 'I will kill you' glare.

"Cease this foolishness. There are more important things going on, other than how to address a captain" he said coolly.

"Old people really are annoying" Toushiro said, and walked off into the room he shared with Ichigo and Ishida.

"But… he's older than Ichigo and his friends" Rukia said.

"He must be referring to physical appearance" Matsumoto said, concealing a giggle. Silence fell upon the group.

After a minute: "Yare, yare. This is rather dull, ne?" Kisuke said. "How about some evening training" he suggested. Ichigo glared at him.

"The last time I trained with you, I nearly became a Hollow" he said.

"But you didn't. You got your Shinigami powers back" Kisuke shot back. Ichigo couldn't reply to that.

"It sounds like a good idea. We can see if there are any Shinobi around to train with, we will want to know how to fight them" Rukia said.

"Let's go then" Ichigo said, giving in. It couldn't possibly be worse than the last time could it?

Psycho Demon-Witch: I'm sorry if this seems rather dull and is slow to get started. I just want to establish the relationships between the characters (well… try to at least). I am also sorry again for the wait you may have experienced because of this stupid connection. If I have written more than one chapter in the time it takes to get back online, I will update once every two days. If not, then it may take a bit longer. Hey, I am also suffering from lack of internet. If my forum was dead before, it will be now (sob). Sayonara for now and pretty please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Psycho Demon-Witch: I am sooo sorry!!! The connection bloody died again. It wasn't back up for long! Well, anyway, thank you to all those who have reviewed (mock-glares at those who didn't). I am a little depressed right now. I have been trying to get into contact with my college. I have called twice and been told that I will be called later. Guess what.

You guessed it. I never did get those phone calls. Once on the 22nd August, the other on the 24th August. I gave up and emailed them on the 26th August. Not the nicest thing I've ever written. Apparently I am very good at cold anger. Well, enough of my ranting, I'm sure you aren't interested in my problems (cries). On with the story.

Chapter Four

Apparently there wasn't much difference between the Shinigami and the Shinobi, as both parties had found out when they trained together. The Shinigami were faster, had a greater endurance and were generally stronger that was true, but some of their techniques were fairly similar, like their hand to hand combat and their speed techniques. Their only major differences were that the Shinigami used incantations, while the Shinobi used hand signs to use there other techniques, and that the Shinigami were just souls. A disadvantage to a Shinigami was that they took longer to heal, as they didn't have a physical body to take damage for them.

Another similarity between them was that they found Kisuke's training methods rather… unusual. The only ones that weren't at all surprised were Jyuushiro and Shunsui, who had both known Kisuke for hundreds if years. He had brought along his modified souls, and with the help of Tsunade, managed to make some bodies for them, similar to the ones they had before. Ichigo had sweat dropped when they were all instructed to fight Ururu, whose new form was only just bigger than before. He remembered his fight with her. It had not been pleasant. He warned the others about her, but the annoying blond, Naruto had only laughed at her. Before she punched him straight in the face and sent him flying anyway. He had been lucky. If he had been a normal person, he would have died. Everyone had taken her seriously then. Except her companion, Jinta, who had been picking on her as usual.

The most amusing part of their training was when Kisuke put Naruto against Ichigo. Both of them were confident, as for talent, it was obvious which one was better. It seemed like Ichigo had a talent for annoying Naruto, who rose up to every bit of bait Ichigo threw at him. Ichigo started getting a bit more serious when a kunai narrowly missed his head. He lifted Zangetsu and did the Zangetsu Tenshou technique, which left a bigger hole than it normally did. It had left the Shinobi worried, as they had never seen power such as this. It made them really wonder about their enemy Shinigami. It had even left Naruto quiet… and on his ass.

It was now the morning of their mission to the Hidden Sand village. They had already eaten breakfast, and were now heading to meet the two Shinobi teams that were taking them to the village to get the Kazekage's cooperation. Rangiku was tired. Being as irresponsible as she was she didn't go to bed until the early hours of the morning. When Toushiro woke her up four hours later, she was not happy. They'd had an argument, which of course, Toushiro won. She had refused to speak to him since.

They soon caught sight of both Gai and Kakashi's teams near the village gate. It looked as though Sakura and Naruto had also been arguing, because the pink haired girl was glaring in the blonds' direction, while he looked totally clueless as to what he had done wrong. "Good morning" Jyuushiro said.

"Just Kakashi sensei to wait for now. Knowing him he will show up in abo…" Sakura began.

"I will show up when, Sakura?" Kakashi said, popping up behind her. Sakura sweat dropped.

"No… nothing Kakashi sensei" she said.

"She means you would have shown up around dinner time" Naruto said bluntly. Sakura whacked him over the head.

"Shut up" she hissed at him.

"Those two are almost as bad as Kiyone and Sentaro" Toushiro commented idly, not caring that the two said Shinigami were stood just four feet away. They were both shooting venomous looks in his direction. Both were thinking he was an arrogant little kid. Which he was, but it wasn't as if they could do anything about it.

Kakashi ignored the comment Naruto had made, and that of Toushiro. "Shall we get going then, or are we going to stay here all day?" he asked.

"It was _you_ we were waiting for" Sakura said irritably. Again, it seemed like Kakashi had selective hearing. They set off at a quick pace towards the Hidden Sand village. They got some unusual stares from passing travellers, as it wasn't often that more than one Shinobi team was sent on one mission.

Naruto was the only one who complained about the length of time it was taking to get to Hidden Sand. He was bored, and there hadn't been any action so far. No other ninjas who wanted to either kill them or take a certain kyuubi out of a certain loud mouths abdomen. Sakura honestly didn't see why he was complaining, as most of these encounters ended up with Naruto in the hospital, where he wouldn't be allowed to do anything and be bored anyway. She couldn't even blame it on being a male thing either, seeing as how everyone else was behaving. With the exception of Sentaro and Kiyone's arguments that is. The Shinobi agreed with the other Shinigami on this: they had a severe captain complex.

(Okay, I'm gonna skip the journey because it is going to bore both me and you)

Once they arrived, they were greeted by Gaara, the Kazekage and his older siblings Temari and Kankuro. There were also a couple of other important looking people whom the Konoha Shinobi had never met. Gaara looked past to the Shinigami. He wasn't surprised to see them; everything had been explained in the letter the Hokage had sent prior to their departure. "I welcome you to Sunagakure" he said in a low voice.

"Hey Gaara, how you been?" Naruto said loudly. Gaara shot Naruto a withering glare at the volume of his voice. He hadn't changed a bit in three years. Naruto, being himself didn't notice this glare.

"Come this way please" Gaara said, and led them all to his home.

When they got there, they were led to a large room, presumably for when the young Kazekage (and any Kazekage before him) had guests. For Gaara, that wasn't often as he was a very solitary person, preferring to keep only Temari and Kankuro around him. "I have informed the Sunagakure Shinobi of the Shinigami's presence, so you won't receive any trouble from them" he said as he sat down. He motioned for the others to do so as well.

"What do you know about the goings on of Orochimaru and Aizen?" Toushiro asked, getting straight to the point.

"Not much. Only a couple of people who have been sent to get information on their doings have come back alive. Those two being Kankuro and myself" Temari said. "We weren't able to get much before they found us. We just know they are helping each other obtain power. One of those ways is getting rid of Akatsuki" she said. A smirk came on her face. "Hopefully they will wipe each other out".

"Don't put your hopes on it, Aizen is very powerful. He has reached the limit of a Shinigami, and he is hoping to extend his powers beyond that. I don't think these Akatsuki will be able to stand up to him" Jyuushiro said.

"We have also seen some very unusual creatures there as well…" Kankuro started.

"The Arrancar. They are Hollows that have obtained the powers of a Shinigami. They are very dangerous, particularly the ones known as the Espada" Jyuushiro explained at the confused looks he was getting.

"What are the Espada? Why are they so dangerous?" Sakura asked.

"They are the most powerful of the Arrancar, picked by Aizen himself. They have been numbered one to ten according to their power" Rukia said. Gaara nodded.

"It is these creatures that have killed the Shinobi here. I am aware of how dangerous they can be, they have managed to kill a team of three jounin" he said. "We will take you to their hideout in the morning, after you have rested. You must be tired from your long journey here" he finished before leaving the room. Temari and Kankuro sweat dropped. That was so like Gaara, to leave them to deal with them.

"Well… we'll show you to the rooms you'll be staying in" Temari said. They were led to their rooms. There were two of them, rather large with mattresses laid on the floor. "You can argue over who'll be having which room later, dinner will be served in an hour. Until then, why don't we see how good you've gotten" Temari said with a sadistic smile.

Back in Konoha

"Ahh, Jyuu-kun must be having all the fun, going off to Aizen's hideout and all" Shunsui complained idly. Nanao sent him an irritated glare.

"You should be focusing on your duty here Kyouraku Taichou" she said. They were currently on a roof, just on the edge of the village. Shunsui was laid down, staring at the sky again, while his unlucky fukutaichou tried to get him to move and finish his duty. It was then that she spotted two men in black and red cloaks. 'Akatsuki' she thought. "Kyouraku Taichou" she yelled at him. Shunsui looked at her in slight alarm. "There are two Akatsuki heading towards the village gate" she said. That moved him. He stood up and used shunpo to get to the gate, followed closely by Nanao.

Byakuya and Renji were already there to greet their 'guests'. "Hey, Byakuya, you seen 'em too eh?" Shunsui stated more than asked. Way to point out the obvious; was running through all their heads. The Shinobi guards at the gate were afraid. They knew the people in front of them, slowly and calmly making their way towards them. Well… they knew one of them at least. Byakuya stepped forward.

"Get into the village, they are beyond your power" he said to them. Both guards ran into the village to inform Tsunade. As the men grew closer, Byakuya spoke again, taking on his iciest tone and expression. "What business do you have here?" he asked them. The younger, but obviously more powerful one lifted his head and gave Byakuya a look which matched his own for sub zero temperatures.

"Our business is none of yours, I ask that you keep out of it" he said. Byakuya narrowed his eyes, while Renji tensed. Being rude to Byakuya was one of the worst things a person could do.

"We have been assigned to protect this village. We understand that you are S class criminals. That means you are a danger. It is our job to eliminate danger, therefore, anything you do is our business" Shunsui interrupted the glaring contest. It was the strangers turn to narrow his eyes. 'Ouch, this one could give Byakuya a run for his money' Shunsui thought.

"I have already said, it does not concern you, please do not make me repeat myself again" Itachi said. These 'guards' were wearing such strange uniforms. No Shinobi had ever worn anything such as that unless they were a Kage. When the guards didn't move, he nodded to Kisame, who readied his weapon. Itachi also readied himself with several kunai hidden by his cloak.

The Shinigami noticed the offensive stance, and withdrew their Zanpaktou. "You are not our primary concern. Tell us your business and withdraw, and we may let you live" Byakuya said. The tall fish faced man, Kisame, laughed.

"Hear that, Itachi? This kid thinks he could take us on" he said. Big mistake.

"'Kid'? I have lived more than 50 times your life span. Do not make that mistake again" Byakuya said coolly.

"He's crazy too. Oh well, let's at least hope they can provide us with some entertainment" Kisame laughed before charging at the Shinigami. Before he even knew they had moved, Shunsui and Nanao had already removed his Samehada and pinned him to the floor with a kido spell. "W… what the fuck just happened? What have you done?" he yelled at them. He struggled for a moment.

"I wouldn't try breaking the kido spell if I were you, you'll damage your soul" Nanao said curtly. Kisame moved his head slightly to see where Itachi had gone. Itachi was still, his eyes wider than they had been. It wasn't usually noticeable to people who didn't know him, but Kisame noticed, and that meant big trouble for them. He wondered what the strangely dressed guards were talking about. What was a kido spell?

"What are you?" Itachi asked.

"We're Shinigami, from Soul Society, where people's souls go once they die" Shunsui said. "We're here to take care of a problem that has spilled over into this world. Now, how about you state your business" Shunsui asked calmly.

So they aren't human, Itachi thought. Interesting. The leader would be interested to hear of this. These people moved faster than anything he had ever seen. Even his Sharingan wasn't able to keep up with them. And their techniques were foreign. There had been no hand symbols that he had seen. There seemed to be nothing to have activated that… kido they had called it. "If I am right in saying this, I believe our problem is the same as yours. A former colleague of ours, Orochimaru, has picked up some… fascinating new friends. They use techniques much like your own" Itachi said to them, finally relenting.

"Hmm… I guess here's where the human saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' pops up" Shunsui said. The other Shinigami gave him a look which said 'shut up and get on with it'. Shunsui sighed at the looks. "Those new friends of your former colleague were once our colleagues… well at least the human looking ones were. The ones with the partial masks were once Hollows, which have been given Shinigami powers" he explained. "Well then, we'll escort you to Tsunade, and then see what she says. You better not be put out if she tells you to get lost" he said. With that said, he released Kisame from the kido spell, who then picked up Samehada. Then Shunsui and his three Shinigami companions surrounded Itachi and Kisame, and escorted them into Konoha.

Psycho Demon-Witch: I know, sucky place to end it, but it's quite long for me… Anyway, please leave a review!!


	5. Chapter 5

Psycho Demon-Witch: Sorry for taking so long (ducks the rotten fruit thrown at her). She hopes she hasn't upset you all too much for taking so long, and thank you for those of you that reviewed to get her ass moving. Since she last wrote, she has become very attached to speaking in third person, as you can plainly see. She hopes this doesn't annoy you too much, and if it does… Oh well. She is sure you have all had enough of her rambling, so she's gonna continue with the story now.

Chapter Five

Training with Temari and Kankuro was not easy, as Sakura and Naruto soon found out. After all, Temari had already reached the rank of a Jounin, and she was not prone to going easy on people. Kankuro was the same, and though he wasn't a Jounin he was very powerful. Even Kakashi had joined in at one point, and although he had won without activating his Sharingan, it had been a tough match. Naruto hadn't really taken his match seriously, and therefore got owned. Completely. Sakura, on the other hand, had. Temari noted how much the pink haired girl had improved under the instruction of Tsunade. It wasn't hard to notice the change in Sakura, as before she was totally Sasuke-obsessed, and while knowing a lot about ninja techniques she hadn't been able to apply that knowledge in a combat situation. Now she could. And she was one very deadly medic nin. Sai had preferred not to get involved, declining a fight politely, as had the Shinigami.

Lee, Neji and Tenten had joined in though. Tenten tried her luck against Temari again, and though she didn't win, she was able to hold herself better than her last fight with the Sand ninja. Lee fared well against Kankuro, managing to smash one puppet almost to pieces before Kankuro got annoyed and stopped playing around. Then there was Neji. It had been decided to pit Neji and Temari against one another, as both were Jounin. It was a close match, but in the end Neji had won. Temari promised retribution for her loss. Neji had smirked at her before offering her a hand up. She had then proceeded to pull him down to the floor before rushing off, shouting 'told you' behind her.

They were now heading inside to freshen up before sitting down for dinner. Gaara was inside waiting for them. He didn't need to ask what had been going on, he had felt the chakra flare up from the room he had confined himself to, but they decided to tell him anyway. "We were just out training, to see how good they got" Kankuro said.

"I know" Gaara said simply, in a void tone.

"Hehe… Naruto got his ass kicked badly, but Sakura here has really improved since we last saw her, she gave even me a tough time" Temari joked. Truth was, Sakura had nearly beaten her. Why wasn't that girl a Jounin yet?

"I know" Gaara said again. He remembered being told about Sakura's fight against that Akatsuki man, the one who took the Shukaku from out of him. She had defeated him, which was no easy feat, considering the fact he was an S-rank criminal.

Temari and Kankuro sweat dropped again. Gaara was never going to make anymore friends or even get a girlfriend with that attitude. "Well anyway… dinner should be getting served now… let's go eat, eh?" Kankuro suggested. Sentaro, Rangiku, Lee and Naruto readily agreed, and Kankuro led them to the dining room. Tenten shook her head.

"What is it with men and food?" she asked rhetorically. Then she glanced at Rangiku. "In general anyway…"

"Who knows" Temari said. There was a slight pause. "Let's just get in there before they eat everything" she added.

Back in Konoha

People were nervous to see the familiar face of Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, seemingly accompanied by no one. But the Shinobi knew better, and let the Shinigami continue on their way, much to the dismay of the poor villagers who had no clue as to what was happening. Itachi's sharp eyes had noticed something. No one was looking at the Shinigami… except the Shinobi, which is why he assumed they weren't stopped. It was unusual.

When they were nearly at the Hokage's building however, they were confronted by a couple of Chuunin. "Oi, we can't allow you to take them any further" one of them said.

"Yeah, they're S-ranked criminals to be executed on site" the other one said, glaring at the young Uchiha male stood near Byakuya.

"We have business with the Hokage, step aside" Byakuya said icily. But the dozy Shinobi were not to be deterred.

"Didn't you hear us? They can't come in… not alive anyway" the first Shinobi said. Byakuya's eyes narrowed. Shunsui had watched the exchange and knew that was not a good thing.

"Listen. We just need to speak with the Hokage. They can't get away, they won't cause any trouble" he said trying to keep things civil and peaceful.

"This is pointless" Byakuya said. "They will not listen". He used a Kido to bind them, then walked by leading Itachi and Kisame in.

"Thanks for your co operation" Shunsui said, before heading in himself with Renji and Nanao.

Tsunade nearly had a fit when she saw Itachi and Kisame being led in. "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING HERE??" she yelled, while punching and destroying yet another desk. She looked at the desk, paused, then yelled "DAMNIT" at the top of her lungs. She pointed an angry finger at the Shinigami. "You have some explaining to do" she said.

Itachi took a step forward. " We have a proposal for you. It seems we have a common enemy, Orochimaru. Our Leader has ordered that we come here to ally with you in order to kill him" he said quietly. Tsunade smirked.

"Why can't you beat them yourselves?" she asked. Itachi and Kisame looked uncomfortable.

"He has aquired some… unusual new friends, which I believe these four people know" Itachi answered. Tsunade sat down in her chair. She was somewhat calmer now.

"Yes, Aizen and group of friends. This… proposal of yours. How can I be sure you'll uphold your end of it, and won't try to kill us all and take the kyuubi" she asked.

"Tch, we won't try anything until Orochimaru's dead, and the same with you… that pink haired girl you trained is trouble" Kisame broke in. Tsunade smiled with pride.

"Yes, Sakura is a good student… very stubborn, even you'd have trouble" she said. "Back to the point… I'll agree to this for now… but if I get wind of anything shady, I will kill you both, is that understood?"

"Perfectly" Itachi said. It would be strange to be working along side some of his old colleagues again, but Orochimaru was becoming a nuisance.

Psycho Demon-Witch: Sorry it's so short, but she thinks she would ruin the chapter if she added anymore to it now… sorry if it seems she is picking on Naruto, she just doesn't like his character. He's a pest that needs to die. No offence intended to people who like Naruto. See the pretty review button? It's begging to be clicked. (kitty eyes)


	6. Chapter 6

Psycho Demon-Witch: Sorry for the long time it's taken to update. (bows and pleads for her life). Thank you to those of you who reviewed, she loves you all so much… for those of you who didn't, shame on you

Chapter Six

Tsunade's death threat had not fazed either Itachi or Kisame, though they fully intended keeping their end of the bargain until Orochimaru was dead. They left her office, passing the two Shinobi that had tried to stop them before. The Shinigami in the pink kimono had released the binding spell that the other Shinigami had put on them. They didn't use hand seals, and their movements were hard to predict, even for Itachi. He wasn't used to being unable to read his opponents movements. It unnerved him slightly, but for now he didn't have to worry about that. They were allies for now. Luckily their hand to hand combat had proven to have some similarities with their own, and it would only be a matter of time before he was able to tell when they were going to use a Kido, even if he had no idea which one they were to use. At least he'd be able to defend himself then.

He watched them closely. The one in the pink kimono reminded him somewhat of Hatake Kakashi. He was one for having fun, and joking around but when the occasion called for it he was one of the most dependable people you could hope to have nearby. The other one with the kenseikan, however was cold, closed off from people. Though he was obviously from a noble family, so it was understandable. The other two, who were obviously subordinates of these two, had left to go ahead and inform the rest of the Shiniagmi's group. His vision blurred more than usual for a moment. Damn. He really needed to stop using the Mangekyou.

It must have been obvious, because his partner and the two Shinigami were looking at him, mild concern being on the face of the former. The man with the pink kimono looked him over. "What's the matter with you? You're movements became all… wobbly" he said. Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"Do not concern yourself with me" he said and continued walking.

"Suit yourself, but really, if you're injured you should get yourself looked at". Kisame gave the man a look.

"Surely it's not your job to worry over criminals now is it?" he asked, mocking him. The man laughed.

"No it isn't, but I am meant to take care of comrades, which is what you are for now, right? By the way, I don't think we were introduced my name is Kyouraku Shunsui, and the sullen one over there is Kuchiki Byakuya" he said. He didn't bother holding a hand out to greet them, as they wouldn't bother taking it. Byakuya glared at him for the manner he had introduced him.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, and he's Uchiha Itachi" Kisame said.

"Yeah, we already knew that, we were told of all S-rank criminals we may want to watch out for. Hard to believe a thirteen year old boy would slaughter his entire family like that" Shunsui commented. Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Do not think you can trick me into revealing anything about that" he said icily. Shunsui waved a hand.

"Of course not, you're too smart for that" he said with a grin. This man was infuriating, Itachi thought.

"Kyouraku Taichou, when you have finished antagonizing our new allies, we need to get them to our quarters" Byakuya spoke for the first time.

"Oh yeah, so we do, this way then" Shunsui said. Byakuya raised an eyebrow. He was going in the opposite direction, and on purpose no less. He glanced to the two Akatsuki. Itachi had noticed this and told Kisame. Like Byakuya, they thought this messing around was a waste of time, they weren't here for playing around. Shunsui noticed they weren't following. "You're all rather observant, aren't you. How'd you two know I was going the wrong way?"

"Your subordinates headed in the opposite direction to the one you're headed in" Itachi said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can't sense our presence then, I don't know if I should call that a good thing or a bad thing" Shunsui said, before setting off in the right direction this time. There was only silence from Kisame and Itachi. "I mean, it's a good thing for us because you'll only be allies temporarily, so then you won't know where to find us, but a bad thing as well because you won't know if there are any Arrancar nearby" he explained as they walked.

Again with the stares. These people acted as if they'd never seen a criminal before. Itachi ignored them, and focused his gaze straight a head, whereas Kisame, who couldn't contain himself as well as Itachi, yelled at them to stop staring or they'd be on the wrong end of his blade. "Why the hell aren't they staring at you? You're the ones leading us around here" he asked them finally.

"Normal humans cannot see us, only those with spiritual powers, or what you call chakra, can see us" Byakuya explained.

"What, you ghosts or something?"

"A crude way of putting it" Byakuya sniped.

"Be nice now, they're human after all" Shunsui said. "When the body dies, the soul goes to a place ironically name Soul Society. We're basically pure spirit energy, and while harder to harm, the damage you do is longer lasting, ah here we are". They finally arrived a t a large building, made to accommodate a large number of people.

"Big place, how many of you are there exactly?"

"A fair few… not all of us are Shinigami though, there are others with different abilities too, a Quincy, a guy with weird arm and a girl with strong healing powers" Shunsui said as he opened the door. "Hey, Nanao-chan, we're back". The stern looking woman was stood in a doorway.

"I know, and I also know of that little stunt you pulled, please try to act like your status dictates" she said. She walked into the main living room of the house, where every one else was sitting. Most of them were glaring at them, or at the very least they were wary. Only Orihime had a smile on her face.

"Hello, my name is Inoue Orihime, it's nice to meet you" she said, holding her hand out to shake theirs. Kisame looked at the girl as if she were insane.

"Oi, surely they've told you about us, right?"

"Hai! But what's the point of being allies if you can't get along, even if it is only temporary?" she asked, her hand still stretched out. Kisame took her hand and shook it for a brief second before letting it drop again. It seemed she was determined to be everyone's best friend. He looked carefully at Itachi as she held her hand out for him to shake. Surprisingly, he did so, even if it was more brief than Kisame's. Orihime looked delighted, and she began to introduce everyone else in the room is well. Strange girl. Naturally, none of the others greeted Itachi and Kisame anywhere near as brightly as Orihime had. Except maybe Kisuke. Yet another person who reminded Itachi somewhat of Kakashi.

There was a knocking on the door. For some reason, everyone looked at Ichigo. He sighed and walked into the hallway. When he opened the door, he was greeted by another Shinigami team, a girl and two boys.

"E…excuse us for interrupting, but another message has come for you. Apparently our contact near Suna wasn't aware there were two teams headed there when this was sent" the girl said. She seemed very shy, speaking with a slight stutter, and she had white eyes with no pupil.

"Alright, get your asses in here" Ichigo said, opening the door wider for them and their dog to get in.

"A… arigato" the girl said. They walked back into the living room.

"The kid said she had a letter from that contact" Ichigo said carelessly. He didn't notice that the three Shinigami had frozen had the sight of Itachi and Kisame. Shunsui did though.

"Hey don't worry about them, they're on our side… for now" he said. It hardly reassured them of much. They weren't comfortable being in the same room as the infamous Uchiha murderer. "So, you are…" he asked, trying to make them more comfortable.

"Hyuuga Hinata" the girl said, not taking her gaze away from the two criminals.

"Aburame Shino" said one of the boys, who was wearing black glasses and a high collar.

"I'm Kiba, and this is Akamaru" said the other boy, who looked rather wild, with messy hair and sharp teeth.

And the introduction process began again.

"Let's see this letter then" Kisuke said. He took it from Hinata and opened it, reading closely. "Apparently they're going to take over Suna and use that as their new base… does anyone recognize this handwriting? I'd love to know who our mysterious ally is" he said. It was bothering him slightly. Shunsui and Byakuya both looked at the letter.

"It looks familiar, but I cannot quite place it" Byakuya said.

"I agree, I've definitely seen this writing before coming here…it can't be Aizen's or Tousen's… but then that would leave Ichimaru, but he makes about as much sense as normal people suddenly being able to see us" Shunsui said.

"Oi, how come you recognized the writing now, but not before" Ichigo asked.

"The last letter was rushed, wasn't able to get much from it. This person was obviously calmer when writing this letter, must have been able to get away for a bit" Shunsui said, still looking at the letter, trying to think whose handwriting it was. "We'll have to tell Jyuu-chan and our other little Shiro friend. More of us will also have to leave, as it seems Konoha isn't the village in immediate danger. We should have our new Akatsuki friends come along to prove their temporary loyalty". Those stabs at their current alliance were beginning to annoy said Akatsuki members. But they would have to put up with it, as their Leader had ordered them personally to do this.

"We'll have to run that past the Hokage first" Byakuya said coolly.

In Suna

"Hey Kakashi sensei, we should really try to find Orochimaru, he could…" Sakura began, but was cut off by a ringing. Jyuushiro pulled out a small, strange object. He flipped it open.

"Yes Shunsui?" he spoke into it. There was a pause as Shunsui spoke. Jyuushiro's eyes widened, then he looked calmer again. "Are you sure they're to be trusted?" he asked. Oh? This was interesting; who could he possibly be referring to. Some of them started listening intently to Jyuushiro's words. "Yes, we will wait for you before doing anything further…. Good bye". He closed the phone. "We have gained some new allies in the form of a terrorist group I believe you all know" he said. He waited for that to sink in.

"Akatsuki?" Naruto growled. Those bastards had nearly killed Gaara… well they did, but not for long.

"Yes, two of them are currently with our friends, and Uchiha Itachi and a Hoshigake Kisame. Now for the bad news…" Jyuushiro tried to get out.

"Bad news? BAD NEWS? I'd call accepting help from Akatsuki bad news" Naruto said angrily.

"We have a common interest, to see Orochimaru gone. If you think logically you can use their help and then you only have one problem as opposed to two… now as I was saying the bad news is that Orochimaru and Aizen plan to attack Suna and use it as their new base"

"You got another letter?" Sakura asked.

"It seems so, and the next team coming will bring it with them" Jyuushiro said.

"Who's coming?" Sakura asked.

"Kuchiki Taichou, Abarai Fukutaichou and the Akatsuki" was the answer. Sakura's fists clenched and a wave of anger passed over her face, then she was calm.

"So we're to wait for them?" she asked.

"Yes, they'll be here by morning"

"Wait, the trip from Konoha to Suna is three days" Tenten said"

"You forget who it is that's travelling from Konoha. We had to move slower for you, but it seems these Akatsuki might be better at keeping up with us" Jyuushiro said. "So, we're free until tomorrow, so go do what you please, but do not leave Suna under any circumstances. We will wait for the next team".

Psycho Demon-Witch: So what'd you think? It's really hard writing this crossover, she has so many characters to play with, and she's making up the story as she goes along… well she does have some idea where she wants it to go, but let's see how things go, ne? Please press the pretty review button, she loves to hear from you!!


	7. Chapter 7

Psycho Demon-Witch: Thank you for all your reviews... she noticed when reading through the last chapter again that she'd put the word Shinigami down instead of Shinobi when referring to them freezing at the sight of the Akatsuki... oops. She'll change that at some point... most likely when she's finished the story...

Chapter Seven

Neither Itachi nor Kisame were surprised at the speed the Shinigami were travelling at. As a result though, they had reached the border of Suna at nearly half the time it would have taken them had they gone at a normal speed. The journey had been a silent one, neither pair wanting to speak to the other, and because of two particular members of the group, there was little if any conversation between partners.

At one point the Shinigami had stopped, asking Itachi and Kisame if they needed to rest. Itachi had glared at them while Kisame retorted "who do you think you're dealing with?" They had then carried on, and neither Byakuya nor Renji had bothered to ask them if they needed to rest again.

In the distance, they could see the silhouettes of several people in the distance. There were four of them in total, two in the billowing uniforms of a Shinigami and the other two most likely Shinobi. Getting closer, they could see that the people were Jyuushiro, Rukia, Kakashi and Gai. The latter two looked particularly unhappy about the situation... or about as unhappy as you could read off a guy with a mask in Kakashi's case.

As the stopped, Byakuya instantly withdrew the letter and handed it to Jyuushiro, who scanned it quickly. As he was doing so Byakuya said "Both Kyouraku Taichou and myself have seen this handwriting before, but we were unable to discern where." Jyuushiro nodded in agreement. He handed the letter to Rukia, but she told them she didn't recognise the writing. Jyuushiro frowned in confusion. Only the captains of each squad were able to recognise this handwriting. He decided he would have Toushiro look at it and see if he recognised it.

Jyuushiro then looked over to Itachi and Kisame, as if noticing them for the first time. "I suppose you'll be joining us then" he stated more than asked.

"Only until Orochimaru is dead" Itachi replied.

"It suprises me that Akatsuki aren't able to deal with Orochimaru alone, I thought you were supposed to be elite Shinobi, or at least that's the impression I got from our last encounter" Kakashi said in a bored tone.

"Says the guy who got his ass handed to him by a kid" Kisame shot back at him. Itachi was not impressed with that. He shot a look at Kisame saying you-are-in-so-much-trouble-you-won't-be-getting-out-of-it-for-a-month. Kisame's cocky attitude instantly wilted as Itachi took charge of the situation.

"You are well aware that Orochimaru has gained some rather... unusual allies. I doubt you'd fare well against them yourselves" he said coolly. "Besides, I thought you'd take advantage of this. Once Orochimaru is eliminated you'll only have one major threat left to deal with" he added with a small smirk on his face.

"Strange that you'd point that out though, seeing as you're part of said threat" Kakashi. Itachi shrugged.

"It is advantageous for us both. We will both have one less threat to deal with" he said. Kakashi laughed.

"Who thought I'd be listening to the reasoning of a homicidal maniac?" he asked, not expecting an answer. Jyuushiro interrupted them.

"We should get going, the others are expecting us back soon" he said, so they started walking in the direction of the village. "So Byakuya how is the situation in Konoha?" he asked the other Taichou.

"It had been quiet, there has been nothing but the usual missions the Shinobi there are called out for" Byakuya replied.

"I suppose Konoha is safe for the time being" Jyuushiro mused. He was broken out of his thought when he saw the other Shinobi waiting at the gate of Suna. "I thought I told you to stay in the village" he said. Sakura grinned.

"Technically we are still in the village, the gate is part of Suna" she said. Jyuushiro smiled and glanced up to where Toushiro and Rangiku were sitting.

"Sakura-san is so smart and filled with the spring of youth" Lee said in wonder at her retort. Neji and Tenten shook their heads in dismay.

"Couldn't you have found something for them to occupy themselves with?" he asked.

"Find someone else to do your babysitting" Toushiro shot at him. "They are them?" he asked looking at Itachi and Kisame.

"Yes, we also have another letter, why don't you and Matsumoto-san come down here and look at them"

The both of them jumped down from the top of the gate, and Toushiro took the letter from him. He scanned it. "It's the same person as before, but do you know who it is yet?" he asked.

"You don't recognise the writing at all?" Jyuushiro asked.

"Not really, should I?" the smaller Taichou asked.

"Let me see Taichou" Rangiku said, snatching the letter out of his hands.

"Well, every other Taichou recognised the handwriting, but no one else did. I suppose it must because you're a relatively new Taichou" Jyuushiro said while Rangiku read the letter. He looked at her. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes were tearing. "Matsumoto-san, is something wrong?"

"I recognise this writing" she said in a stunned whisper. Toushiro's eyes widened. There was only one person she'd get this worked up over.

"Yes, whose is it?" Jyuushiro pressed her gently. She looked into Jyuushiro's kind face.

"It's... it's I...Ichimaru Gin's" she said. All the Shinigami's eyes widened slightly.

"Isn't he one of Aizen's men?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, he's the one we assumed was most loyal to Aizen... he was Aizen's fukutaichou a little over forty years ago" Jyuushiro replied. "But what Matsumoto-san has said... we should try to get Ichimaru back alive and as soon as possible" he said. Matsumoto stood there, still stunned.

"T... the last thing he said to me was... that he was sorry" she said in a daze.

"Matsumoto, get a hold of yourself, you won't be of any use if you're in this state" Toushiro said.

"Sorry Taichou, I'll be fine" she said, more calm than before, but she still had a slightly vacant look in her eyes.

"So far this doesn't prove anything, we can't say for certain that the letters are genuine. The only thing we have that points to them being true is that several strong Shinobi have been killed under unusual circumstances. This might be a trap" Toushiro said.

"I understand, Taichou" Rangiku said.

"Oi, oi, calm down. It's true that we can't verify the validity of them, but there's been nothing so far to doubt them..." Jyuushiro trailed off. Other than the fact that it's Ichimaru Gin that sent them was what he was going to add, but he didn't want to distress Rangiku further.

"Fine, we'll apprehend him, but if it turns out these letters are lies then we'll have no choice but to kill him" Toushiro said. "Enough of this, we should escort these two to the Kazekage's office, he'll be wanting to meet them in person" he added, changing the subject.

"I'll bet, Gaara-san has already had bad personal experiences with the Akatsuki. He'll be less willing than most to allow them here" Sakura said, her furious gaze fixed mainly on the shorter of the two Akatsuki.

"Gaara-san's a reasonable person, he'll see the need to have them join us" Jyuushiro said.

"I don't, all they do is hurt people to get what they want, whose to say they won't attack us once our guard is down?" Naruto asked angrily, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived.

"We can't say for certain what their eventual goals are, but right now their primary concern is the same as our own. Against someone like Aizen, we need all the allies we can get. Now, as my fellow Shiro here said, we should escort them to meet Gaara-san" Jyuushiro said. Toushiro twitched at the name the older captain had used in reference to him, wondering why it was always him that got these ridiculous names pinned onto him.

The people of Suna were even more anxious to see Itachi and Kisame walking through their village. None dared approach, and even though they were accompanied by several Shinobi their fears were little eased.

As they turned a corner, they ran into Matsuri and one of her friends. "Ah, sorry.." she began. She caught sight of the cloaks. "What are they doing here? Are they here to take Gaara sensei away again?" she demanded.

"It's alright, they've offered a temporary alliance to get rid of a more immediate threat" Kakashi explained. His tone told Matsuri that he was not impressed with the idea, just as she was. SHe relaxed slightly.

"So you'll be going to see Gaara sensei then? He's training with Temari and Kankurou at the moment" she told them. She and her friend then ran off, waving good bye,

"She took that all too well" Kakashi mused absently, remembering the last time he had seen the small girl. A bit of a fangirl, and way too loud but a good kid who cared a lot about her sensei. It was surprising that she wouldn't pitch more of a fit about the Akatsuki. Kids were too unpredictable.

"Well, let's head for the training grounds then" Jyuushiro said.

"Gai-sensei, we should race there and the last one has to do one hundred laps around the village" Lee blurted out. Gai grinned.

"You're on my young student" he said. He glanced at the others. "You should join in too" he said. Toushiro glared at him.

"Why bother, you already know we'll beat you" he said moodily. "Besides, we have better things to do than get involved in some silly game like that" he added.

"Why does one so young say such things?" Gai asked in horror.

"Idiot, I'm older than you" Toushiro muttered, but it went completely unnoticed by Gai who turned to Kakashi.

"You'll join in at least, won't you my eternal rival?" he asked.

"Gai, we're supposed to be escorting Itachi and Kisame" Kakashi said in exasperation.

"Excuses, that's another win for me then" Gai said with one of his brilliant smiles and the nice guy pose. Kakashi held a hand to his head and closed his eye as if that would make Gai disappear. It seemed to work though, as both Lee and Gai had already taken off.

"Well, they'll be the ones to inform the Kazekage of the Akatsuki's arrival, and they can deal with whatever rage comes from the siblings. I wouldn't necessarily say I'd lost that one" Kakashi said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Oi, Itachi do we really have to work with these people, they're crazy" Kisame said.

"Those are Leader-sama's orders, unfortunately" Itachi replied. They ignored the looks they were being given for the crazy comment. Who were they to call the Konoha Shinobi crazy? In the distance they heard the sound of a lot of sand being thrown around.

Apparently the Kazekage was aware of their arrival.

Psycho Demon-Witch: that was hard to write, it took forever... what with revealing their informant and crap. Anyways, she'll get the next installment up as soon as possible. Pretty please leave a review!!


	8. Chapter 8

Psycho Demon-Witch: Well, she's finally updating again! She's just broken up for the Christmas holidays, but don't get excited, she has lots of revision to do! Stupid exams... anyways, on to the story.

Warning, this chapter contains stabbing at how rubbish sand ninja are.

Chapter Eight

Temari and Kankurou had been training with their brother, Gaara. It was both of them against him... not that the odds were in their favour of course. Gaara hadn't been made Kazekage just because he looked pretty, though that was a bonus. The sound of footsteps had halted all their movements. Gaara let down the sand he'd prepared to send at his older siblings, while Temari folded away her fan and Kankurou released his puppet from its chakra strings. The footsteps turned out to be those of Gai and Lee, both running ridiculously fast. It seemed they were in another one of their races. Gai was slightly in the the lead of his pupil, though that was to be expected. Lee was gradually catching up to his sensei in terms of speed and ability with taijutsu.

Gai came to a rapid halt in front of Gaara and struck the nice guy pose, exclaiming loudly that he had finished first, with Lee coming up closely in second, also yelling at the top of his voice the position he had come in. Temari gave them an exasperated look. "Can this even be considered a race? There are only two of you taking part" she said, explaining this to them as if they were children. Both acted as if they hadn't heard her, and turned to face the Kazekage.

"Gaara-san, a third Shinigami team has arrived, with Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigake Kisame" Lee said with a serious look on his face that really did not suit him at all. Gaara's hands twitched lightly. Temari and Kankurou backed away slightly and motioned for the other two to do the same. While Gaara would never intentionally hurt them now, he could still be dangerous when he lost his temper. Sure enough, a large volume of sand raised from the ground, and Gaara proceeded to throw it into the nearest solid object, which was a very large, very old rock. It didn't entirely relieve his stress, but it somewhat helped. He turned to Gai and Lee.

"Where are they?" he asked them, with a quiet fury in his voice. He maintained perfect control of his facial expressions. Temari and Kankurou, knowing him better than anyone, knew he was reigning in his emotions before the two Akatsuki arrived.

"They are heading this way as we speak" Gai said. No sooner had he finished speaking, the others appeared. The Shinigami had been careful to keep Itachi and Kisame behind them, partially out of sight. The three captains of the group stepped forward, while the Shinobi stayed slightly behind them, not trusting the two Akatsuki for even a second.

"Kazekage-san, we have another letter from our informant. The handwriting hasbeen identified as being that of Ichimaru Gin's. He is one of Aizen's men, presumably his most loyal. Up until now that is. We don't know if the letters are genuine, or if Ichimaru is trying to make us run around even though previous letters have proven to have the truth in them" the older white haired captain explained. He held out the letter to Gaara. He took it, reading slowly and carefully, possibly trying to decipher any hidden meanings in the text.

"These letters so far have proven to be nothing but the truth, the fact that you now know who has been sending them should change nothing" Gaara said. Toushiro didn't look pleased with that.

"That man is evil, he always has been. You can't trust him" he said. Gaara's cold, green gaze flicked towards him. His glare was met by another green eyed glare, though this one had pupils.

"You should show the same consideration I am currently doing. The Akatsuki killed me once, yet there are two of them here now, forming a temporary alliance with us. This Ichimaru Gin may have ulterior motives for helping us, or he may not. Nonetheless, he has provided us with useful information that has currently proven to be the truth. Please do not let past prejudices get in the way of your ability to think" Gaara said. It was at that moment that it became obvious to everyone why he was the Kazekage. Not only was he powerful, he was also very intelligent. Years of people hating and fearing him had taught him to read people better, learn their true intentions. Though he's never seen Gin, he knew the man must be desperate to be seeking the aid of those who would sooner kill him than look at him.

Gaara's speech silenced Toushiro. The young captain glared at him one last time before refusing to acknowledge him further. Gaara didn't care though. He turned back to Jyuushiro. "Is there any way we can get into contact with this person?" he asked.

"It would be very difficult, Kazekage-san. Aizen is a most cautious person, and I am assuming that Orochimaru is too. I will look into a way of doing this though" Jyuushiro said. Indeed it would be difficult. First of all, they would most likely have to infiltrate enemy territory, while making sure the enemy weren't alerted to their presence. Then there was the uncertainty of where Gin's loyalties truly lay. He could be sending this information on Aizen's orders, so that someone would think GIn was no longer loyal to him and would try to contact him. The result of that would be the death of whomever contacted him, and maybe the deaths of many others. On the other hand, if Gin were acting independantly, there would be the trouble of hiding everything from Aizen. They would lose a valuable source of information if Aizen found out, and most likely Gin and those who were in contact with him would die.

"I will have Temari work on this with you, she has greatly improved as a tactician" Gaara said. Temari grinned at the praise she recieved from her younger brother, it was so rare he gave a compliment to anyone. "Temari, if there are any other Shinobi you wish to help you tell them they have orders from the Kazekage to drop whatever they are doing and help you. This is top priority" he added.

"Of course, but considering their performance during our last major crisis, I don't think they would be of much use to us. I would, however, like to enlist the help of Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai and Hyuuga Neji" she said in an authorative tone of voice, one she presumably used when ordering othe Suna Shinobi around. Gaara thought back to that incident. They were pretty useless, they only starting attacking when he was nearly unconcious. Morons. He appreciated the fact that they cared so much about him that they came to retrieve him, but he would have preferred not dying.

"I would be happy to help you, Temari-san" Kakashi said. He glanced at Gai and Neji. "They would too" he said, answering for them.

"That's my eternal rival for you, being able to read someone even without using the Sharingan!" Gai exclaimed. Kakashi sweatdropped, and Neji looked embarrassed that this man was his jounin sensei. Gaara nodded his approval. Then his gaze hardened as he looked at Itachi and Kisame.

"You two... you aided in my death once, aided in the deaths of many Suna Shinobi. I have many valid reasons to kill you both where you stand. However, the Godaime Hokage has agreed to a truce with you while you aid us in the defeat of Orochimaru, who is also causing great harm to this village. The truce extends here. You will have restrictions imposed on you, which I am assuming were also done in Konoha. You should avoid public areas, you will be accompanied by at least two high ranking Shinobi at all times. If you do anything to harm anyone of this village, you will be killed. If it looks like you will break the truce you will be killed. Is that understood?" he said, not really meaning it as a question.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama" Itachi said politely. Gaara's eyes narrowed. There weren't many criminals who showed respect to their enemies, even if they were allied temporarily. "Is something wrong?" Itachi asked.

"You'd better not try anything" Gaara merely said, leaving the threat open for interpretation. Itachi merely gave him a look.

"Look brat, we extended the damn truce, we're not exactly gonna go back on it" Kisame said. If Itachi had been anyone else, he would have rolled his eyes and hit his partner swiftly over the head. However he was not anyone else. He would 'explain' Kisame's mistake later.

"You think we should trust you to keep to your word? You're traitors to your villages" Kankurou said angrily.

"As long as Orochimaru lives, we'll uphold our end of the truce, that's all you need to know" Itachi said coldly, before Kisame could open his mouth.

"Enough" Gaara commanded. "There is no point in fighting now, save until after Orochimaru and Aizen are dead. Uchiha Itachi, I understand that your brother is with Orochimaru now. What do you intend to do about that?" he asked. Itachi showed no emotion on his face, his eyes remained cold and detached.

"It is no concern of mine what my foolish brother does" he said. "Should he attack me, however, he will find that he relives certain... unpleasant memories again"

"Don't eve think about it" Naruto said furiously, moving forward with a fist raised.

"Naruto! Stop" Kakashi said to him, before moving to hold him back.

"Obviously I thought about it, or I would not have said it" Itachi said, openly mocking Naruto. Naruto's face contorted in rage.

"Naruto, calm down" Kakashi said.

"He has no right to..."

"I know that, but you mustn't let your anger take over" Kakashi said quietly. He glared at Itachi. "I would appreciate it, if you didn't antagonise people like this. If we can work together properly, Orochimaru will be killed quicker, don't you think?" he asked. Itachi shrugged. He was only ordered to help them defeat Orochimaru and those strange people, it didn't mean he had to be nice to them.

Naruto stormed away, angry with Itachi, and angry with himself for letting Itachi get to him like that. Sakura followed him, concerned. "Naruto, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me" he said, forcing a smile on his face. Sakura looked at the floor. She knew he was lying.

"Just think of it this way. If we have the Akatsuki here, we will be able to defeat Orochimaru and get Sasuke-kun back, ne? Remember what you said to Sai? You'd be willing to work with anyone to get him back" she said cheerfully. Naruto's smiel became genuine then.

"You're right, Sakura-chan. I'll work with that bastard to get Sasuke back" he said, determination clear in his voice. "I'll definately get Sasuke back."

Psycho Demon-Witch: Well that's all she can think of right now. Darn, she was really hoping to write more in this chapter. Oh well. Pretty please leave a review!!


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